Dan Mullen Has No Timeline to Name UNLV Starting QB, Says Arnold and Orji Could Both Play

LAS VEGAS — Dan Mullen is not setting a deadline to name UNLV’s starting quarterback, and he is not ruling out playing Jackson Arnold and Alex Orji when the Rebels open the season against Memphis.

Asked Monday if he had an idea when he planned to name an official starter, Mullen gave a one-word answer.

“Nope,” Mullen said.

He then left the competition open to more than one outcome.

“We’ll see,” Mullen said. “Maybe they’ll both start. Maybe we’ll play two of them against Memphis. I don’t know. We’ll see. I can’t give away all our own little secret packages.”

Mullen has kept the competition between Arnold and Orji open throughout fall camp. He said earlier that the staff expected to have an idea before kickoff, but he has not committed to announcing a starter publicly or limiting the offense to one quarterback.

The possibility of using both is realistic because their games do not fit into a simple passer-and-runner split. Arnold arrived from Auburn with more recent starting experience and threw for 1,309 yards and six touchdowns last season. He also rushed for 311 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns in 10 games, including eight starts.

Orji has been used more heavily as a runner during his college career, but Mullen’s comments Monday made clear that UNLV is evaluating how much more he can provide as a passer. Orji played in three games for the Rebels last season before suffering a season-ending injury against UCLA. He completed all three of his passes for 37 yards and rushed for 42 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

His health is no longer limiting what UNLV can ask him to do.

“He’s doing pretty good,” Mullen said. “It’s good that he’s healthy. More importantly, his legs being 100% healthy again allows him to really make those types of extra plays, whether it’s scrambling around or keeping the play alive or making something happen.”

Mullen was asked about a video UNLV posted of Orji rolling to his right and throwing deep toward the end zone. The arm strength did not surprise him.

“He’s like Uncle Rico, right?” Mullen said. “He could probably put the ball over that mountain right there with his arm strength. To see him kind of whip a ball like that, that’s not shocking to me.”

The throw provided another look at what UNLV is evaluating with Orji now healthy. He was limited to three games last season, and the injury took away the chance to find out how much his passing role could grow inside Mullen’s offense. This camp has given the staff another opportunity to test that part of his game.

Arnold entered the competition with a longer record as a college passer. Before spending last season at Auburn, he played two years at Oklahoma and threw for 1,984 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has made 18 starts across the past three seasons.

The decision will be based on more than which quarterback wins a set of practice repetitions. Mullen said the staff is looking for players who can help UNLV win individual plays and games.

“Like every position on the field, we want guys on our field competing for reps and guys that can help us win a play,” Mullen said. “We’re looking for the guys that can help us win football games.”

UNLV held a scrimmage Sunday that included live tackling, giving the staff another chance to evaluate the quarterbacks in situations closer to a game. Mullen had not reviewed the film with the coaching staff when he spoke Monday, and the Rebels are scheduled to scrimmage again Friday.

The passing game remains a work in progress. Mullen said the quarterbacks and receivers have looked more connected at times, but he wants the timing and decision-making to improve through continued repetitions.

“Especially at the quarterback position, you can never get enough reps,” Mullen said. “Every day, I expect us to get a little bit better in the pass game. That just comes from experience, and comes from time, and comes from a lot of reps doing it over and over and over again.”

Mullen joked that he would prefer quarterbacks with 40,000 career attempts because they would already know where to go with the ball. That is not the situation UNLV has. Arnold is learning another offense after transferring for the second consecutive offseason, while Orji is getting extended work after an injury ended his first season with the Rebels in September.

“We’re still learning,” Mullen said.

UNLV opens Aug. 29 against Memphis before traveling to Hawai‘i for its Mountain West opener Sept. 5.

Mullen is not evaluating the position in isolation. He said the staff will use the scrimmage film to determine what the offense does well, which players need to be on the field and how the scheme should be adjusted around them.

“A lot of it’s for our evaluation of what we’re doing well, who can do what well, who’s getting ready to go play, what’s our rotation and what guys do we want on the field,” Mullen said. “If we’re really good at certain spots, we’re then going to tweak the offense or defense and make sure we’re putting those guys in position to succeed.”

Arnold and Orji still have practices and another scrimmage to separate themselves. Mullen may eventually choose one, but he made it clear Monday that naming a starter is not the only way this competition can end.

“If they both can help us win, they’ll both play,” Mullen said.